Episode 349: 'Challengers' with Robert Abele

Episode 349: 'Challengers' with Robert Abele

Author: MaximumFun.org May 10, 2024 Duration: 1:02:46

Luca Guadagnino’s latest film (and biggest to date) has been the talk of cinema circles since its release. Whether it’s causing a thirst for threesomes, a craving for churros, or a burning desire to pick up a racket, folks have been talking about it, and now we are too, with help from LAFCA President and critic Robert Abele! Then we’ll hear a lot more about Alonso’s forthcoming book, HOLLYWOOD PRIDE, out soon on May 14! 

What’s Good
Alonso - Justin Chang winning a Pulitzer Prize
Drea - PRF Facial in Vegas
Robert - LA Lemons galore and making food with them 
Ify - Warhammer Cafe in Monrovia

ITIDIC

  1. Slamdance Is Moving to Los Angeles!
  2. Vin Diesel’s Riddick Sequel Will Begin Filming This Fall
  3. McDonald’s Happy Meal Toys Are Revealing MCU Spoilers

Vin Diesel Street Sharks Demo (as referenced by Ify)

Tennis player Andrea Petkovic’s review in The Guardian (referenced by Robert)

***Order a signed copy of Alonso’s book from Book Soup***

Staff Picks
Drea - The Idea of You
Alonso - Egoist
Robert - Whatever is on Criterion 24/7! (also: Evil Does Not Exist)
Ify - Dial M for Murder

Get your Physical Media Sign for tapping! Art by Producer Marissa…tap at will!

Follow us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, or Letterboxd

With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher


Every week, comedian Kevin Avery, film producer Drea Clark, and critic Alonso Duralde gather to tear into the world of movies, offering a perspective that breaks from the usual mold. Their conversations are a rapid-fire mix of sharp critique, industry knowledge, and genuine comedy, making each episode feel like hanging out with the most film-obsessed friends you have. Maximum Film! dives into the latest releases, dissects classic cinema, and unpacks the news shaping Hollywood, all delivered with an energy that’s as entertaining as it is insightful. This isn’t a dry lecture; it’s a lively, thoughtful, and often hilarious flight through everything on screen. You’ll find yourself reconsidering films you love and discovering new favorites, all thanks to the distinct voices and experiences each host brings to the microphone. Part of the MaximumFun.org network, this podcast consistently delivers that perfect blend of smart analysis and effortless fun, turning your weekly listen into a highlight for any film fan.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 459

Maximum Film!
Podcast Episodes
Episode #429: 'Nouvelle Vague' with Tarik R. Davis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:35
An ode to a classic of French New Wave cinema – Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless (A Bout de Souffle) – Nouvelle Vague is more than a heady film nerd love fest. It’s a Linklater movie, which means it’s a hangout film; it’s ju…
Episode #428: 'Christy' with Daresha Kyi [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:32
CW: discussion of domestic abuseWe get into the good the bad and the ugly of the new boxing biopic CHRISTY, which tells the story of pioneering boxer Christy Martin and her dark power struggles both in and outside the ri…
Episode #427: BUGONIA with Casey O'Brien [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:30
Yorgos Lanthimos can be counted on for a weird, wild time, and this time around he’s back with Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, plus newcomer Aidan Delbis, comedian Stavros Halkias, and even a bit of Alicia Silverstone. For…
Episode #426: HEDDA Throws the Party of the (Last) Century [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:30
Just us chickens here this week to talk about the wild party we just witnessed...in Nia DaCosta's HEDDA, a modernized (but not modern-day) adaptation of the classic Ibsen play, HEDDA GABLER. Then we get into what works a…
Episode #425: 'The Mastermind' with Myq Kaplan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:40
Josh O’Connor stars in a heist movie to end all heist movies – or at least end our illusions that the person pulling the heist is pretty cool and awesome. Comedian and friend Myq Kaplan is along to watch things unfold, a…
Episode #424: 'Kiss of the Spider Woman' with Carlos Aguilar [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:40
A little gritty political drama, a little technicolor musical, a little revolutionary politics, a little ahead-of-its-time queer representation…Kiss of the Spider Woman has been a novel, a play, an Oscar-winning movie, a…
Episode #423: 'Play Dirty' with Danielle Radford [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:10
If you’ve got Amazon Prime, you can put PLAY DIRTY (starring Mark Wahlberg, Rosa Salazar, LaKeith Stanfield, Tony Shaloub, and many more) right now. But should you? That’s where we come in, careening into your remote-wie…
Episode #422: 'One Battle After Another' with Michael Phillips [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:55
Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film has car chases, explosions, secret societies, and and confused ex-revolutionaries...but did it make Drea cry? Find out the answer, plus our favorite underground cabals from film history…
Episode #421: 'The Long Walk' with Lauren Shippen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:33
An impossible, dystopian "sporting event" is the subject of this week's film, leading to a seemingly impossible feat of storytelling, production, and adaptation. It's THE LONG WALK, with YA Novelist and podcasting impres…
Episode #420: 'Twinless' with Bryan Fuller [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:41
Director/star James Sweeney’s sophomore follow-up to Straight Up made a spalsh at Sundance this January, winning the Audience Award and a lot of buzz about Dylan O’Brien’s dual roles as twins Roman and Rocky. Director an…